Real Madrid sailed through the UCL knockout round play-off after a 3-1 [6-3 on aggregate] victory over Manchester City with a superb Kylian Mbappé hat-trick [4’, 33’, 61’]. Los Merengues followed that win with victories against Girona and Real Sociedad in La Liga and Copa Del Rey. But they slipped to third on the log after a potentially significant blow in the race for the league title with a 2-1 loss at Real Betis at the weekend. A Brahim Díaz [19’] goal couldn’t prevent a first defeat in the last eight matches in all competitions [5W, 2D, 1L] for Real Madrid. “If we play like that, we’re not going to win on Tuesday; that’s pretty clear. Hopefully, this match will serve as a wake-up call, a lesson,” Carlo Ancelotti said ahead of Madrid’s 239th meeting with city rivals Atlético Madrid on Tuesday [116W, 63D, 59L]. This intense Madrid derby comes less than a month after the teams drew 1-1 in the league at the Bernabéu. Both sides have faced each other in the knockout stages of the European competitions in five previous seasons, with Los Blancos progressing/winning on all five occasions. In a concerning subplot, Real Madrid has never lost when Clément Turpin has officiated [7W, 1D, 0W], while Atlético has managed only two victories [2W, 3D, 1L] in such games. Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Rodrygo may form a trident attack in a 4—3—3 setup. Meanwhile, Federico Valverde and Jesús Vallejo face late fitness tests while Dani Ceballos and two others are on the treatment table.